I have been very fortunate to have traveled around the east coast many of times. One of my favorite places to visit was Myrtle Beach because I loved the relaxed beach setting that it offered along with the slow paced lifestyle of the south. I also found these same characteristics while visiting Fort Myers, Florida. I have been there a few times and enjoyed being able to swim in the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico and wake up early to see the dolphins swimming just off the coast. Additionally, both of these places have allowed me to be adventurous and take part in fun water ports such as banana boating and jet skiing.
I have also been on a cruise to the western Caribbean which docked in Costa Maya, Mexico, Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras. In Costa Maya I was thrilled to be able to experience the culture and see the homes in which people live. We had to drive an hour through the rural, desert towns of the city to arrive at our destination. It was during that drive that we saw several children who were seated at roadside stands trying to sell fruit to provide for their families. It was an eyeopening experience to see the amount of poverty that has affected the area. In Roatan, I also experienced a lot of poverty and run down towns. This stop was the most impactful day of all of my traveling because I interacted with so many of the local children. They all came from poverty stricken backgrounds, but were still so humble. One boy, who we met while zip lining, described to us that their school system runs differently than most counties. Children go to school opposite of the harvest season so that they can stay at home and work on their family farm's. Additionally, their school day starts a lot earlier than ours does, but ends by noon so that they can go to work. Here, I also saw many children selling items on the street. I experienced this first hand when one boy approached us at the resort with a basket full of cheese that he was trying to sell. While it is fun to partake in adventurous activities such as parasailing and snorkeling, it is a more impactful experience when you have the opportunity to emerge yourself in their culture and way of life.
While I have been so lucky to have visited many places so far, there are still so many places I want to go. My dream is to one day visit Fiji, Paris, and Australia. However, right now I am focusing on exploring the rest of the US and saving up enough money to hopefully backpack through Europe with my roommate after we graduate in a few years.
In life it is important to take a break from the stresses of school, work, and everyday life. You need to take time to be yourself and enjoy life. What better way to enjoy life and have a good time than being adventurous? By traveling, you force yourself to step out of your comfort zone and take part in activities that you wouldn't normally do. Whether it is parasailing in Mexico, eating food from street vendors in Asia, or going on an African safari, everyone should partake in at least one activity outside of their comfort zone. By being adventurous you are creating memories and stories that you will be able to share with your family and friends for many years to come.
The world offers countless opportunities to experience new things. Being adventurous doesn't necessarily mean going skydiving, it just means that you are willing to branch out and try something new. Maybe you don't like swimming, but decide to try snorkeling on an island, or maybe you have to navigate your way around a foreign city and don't speak the language. All of these small setbacks are what make traveling fun and exciting. Those moments where you feel so lost, but are still enjoying every minute are what make the memories that you will never forget.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJF5NXygL4k
Traveling is an activity that people of all ages can take part in. Some people chose to do it for leisure, others for business, and some for educational purposes. However, no matter the reason for traveling, it is proven that people receive both educational and personal benefits from exploring someplace new.
Traveling allows people to experience landmarks and learn more about history in a realistic setting. Today we have the benefits of being able to hop on a plane and land anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. This means that we have the ability to explore landmarks and view historical artifacts in museums first hand. For examples, if you wanted to view the Mona Lisa, you could travel to Paris, France or if you wanted to learn about ancient Rome you could visit the Colosseum. The opportunities are endless when it comes to visiting ancient cities and learning the true history in a local setting.
I personally got to experience this on my trip to Mexico. While visiting Costa Maya, I was able to visit the Mayan ruins and view the ancient pyramid ruins. It was a more powerful and informative experience viewing these phenomenal creations first hand and hearing stories about the hardships and challenges that the ancient societies dealt with, especially because the tour guides were decedents of the Mayans. Almost always you will take more away from actually visiting a place than reading about it in a text book and viewing pictures online.
This blog was created to share my love to travel and to encourage others to take time to explore the world. The world expands far beyond your hometown, state, and country. With over 7 billion people living on planet Earth, there are so many cultures to experience and landmarks to explore. Today there are 196 countries that make up the world and each one offers a vastly different and unique experience than the next. I love to explore new places, meet new people, and experience a different way of life which is why my passion is to travel. I hope that after you view this blog you consider taking a break from your busy life and explore a new part of the world!
